Thoughts on 'dixieland'.
What distinguishes 'dixieland' from 'swing'? Or from big-band
jazz? Or from dance music? Or from bebop? (Etc.)
A number of people (including me) think that the difference
occurs when two or more instruments are improvising melodies (of
different types) at the same time. More specifically, when all
instruments are improvising on a song's series of chords and doing so
within certain (perhaps unstated) agreements of pitch-range and role.
That is, the clarinet will generally play higher than the trumpet,
which plays higher than the trombone, and so forth. Also, the
trumpet will generally play the melody (but the most basic skeleton
of it), the clarinet will add filigree harmony around and above the
melody, the trombone will punctuate gaps with glissandos
(portamentos) and thirds and sevenths of the chord off the beat, and
the bass will play mainly the root and fifth of the chord on the
beat, but connecting these points linearly. (This description is of
course greatly simplified.) This kind of style (i believe) applies
to most styles of 'dixieland', including 'Condon style', West Coast
Revival style, New Orleans style, and so forth. (I'm not trying to
define the style(s), but just to describe its characteristics.)
So, if this is true, 'dixieland' occurs best when all instruments
are playing together, as this is when the so-called simultaneous
polyphonic improvisation can be at its fullest.
That said, what of solos? They, by this description, are not
'dixieland' (at its best), because they are just one instrument
improvising a melody at a time. They may be 'jazz' (whatever _that_
is), but they aren't the best 'dixieland'. Therefore the best
dixieland occurs in ensemble playing, not solos. Dixieland is a
collaborative endeavor, with multiple simultaneous melodies.
Comments?
Dan
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** Dan Augustine Austin, Texas ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu **
** "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, **
** a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, **
** and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." **
** -- Hunter Thompson **
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